How To Beat Collecting Addiction.

[Mondragon]

It's to the point that I am having trouble saying NO to just about anything that I can tie to my childhood that I may have liked.

Has anyone went through this to where they having trouble saying NO to items?

Yes, It's futile...

 

[JMT1979]

I haven't bought anything in years, until just recently, I picked up a few loose parts to build my own John Wick. And when I finally got some pretty cool parts in the mail, it was literally no excitement at all. Maybe the spark is gone.

Like you, the thrill is maybe gone.... didn't think that would ever happen.

P.S. ( or maybe more like a PSA ....) The best thing I've found to "downsize" and cycle out of your life are inlaws. Just find a big box, throw them in, and send them packing.

I finally received by Hot Toys Batman TDKR DX19 figure yesterday, a figure from one of my favourite movie trilogies of all time, and 24 hours later it is still in the box unopened. On the weekend, HT Superman JL will come back out and he'll be paired with Batman, but once upon a time I would have done that yesterday.
At times I feel that I'm plugging the gaps in my collection out of obligation, rather than passion. I'm not going to get rid of my collection, but it does make me consider which characters I really want and which of my pre-orders I really should keep.

 

[Rondesmo]

At times I feel that I'm plugging the gaps in my collection out of obligation, rather than passion. I'm not going to get rid of my collection, but it does make me consider which characters I really want and which of my pre-orders I really should keep.

That’s exactly the point. Fill the gaps in our collection rather than focus on really desired item.
It’s always the conflict between what we really desire and what seems « cool » in a collection.
Control our hobby and purchases and not being bewitched by our possessions.
in short, exercise self-discipline and happy sobriety

Sometimes I wish I had the balls to sell all my 1/10 SW Koto and IS statues, just to keep the props like sabers and helmets.

I’ve two PO for the moment. Mars Toys 1989 Bruce Wayne and the Mafex Robocop BD.
I knew I could live without this last one but I know the prices gonna skyrocket soon and had a great PO price directly from Japan.

Back to Batman 1989, my grail franchise, I just allow me the liberty of buy the HT Batcave and batwing if they see the light of day but desperately want to stop after that.
Prices and economical context helps a lot.

Already took the decision to not consider Joost’s batwing or upcoming 89 Batmobile.
As cool and fantastic as they are, it’s an outrageous amount of money and consider I can’t afford anymore.

 

[omegaglory1]

That’s exactly the point. Fill the gaps in our collection rather than focus on really desired item.
It’s always the conflict between what we really desire and what seems « cool » in a collection.
Control our hobby and purchases and not being bewitched by our possessions.
in short, exercise self-discipline and happy sobriety

Sometimes I wish I had the balls to sell all my 1/10 SW Koto and IS statues, just to keep the props like sabers and helmets.

I’ve two PO for the moment. Mars Toys 1989 Bruce Wayne and the Mafex Robocop BD.
I knew I could live without this last one but I know the prices gonna skyrocket soon and had a great PO price directly from Japan.

Back to Batman 1989, my grail franchise, I just allow me the liberty of buy the HT Batcave and batwing if they see the light of day but desperately want to stop after that.
Prices and economical context helps a lot.

Already took the decision to not consider Joost’s batwing or upcoming 89 Batmobile.
As cool and fantastic as they are, it’s an outrageous amount of money and consider I can’t afford anymore.

Vehicles are probably the bane of collectors trying to combat our addiction! We feel like we have to have the iconic vehicle piece to fill the gap. I bought the Gametoys FF7 Cloud earlier this year (my first new figure in years) and decided not to get the bike. Even though I could afford it, it would take up too much space and be another large box I’d need to find room for!

All this talk about minimalism, I’ve ordered a Hot Toys ROTJ Boba Fett from eBay

 

[Rondesmo]

Appart small SW ships, a few 1/18 die cast cars and the 1/12 DC BTAS Batmobile, the only big 1/6 vehicle I own is the HT 89 Batmobile. And it will be my only. It’s so huge.
IF it sees the light of day, I’m happy HT chose the 1/12 route for its 89 Batwing.

 

[Patriot666]

Anyone tried hypnosis?

 

[agonistes86]

All this talk about minimalism, I’ve ordered a Hot Toys ROTJ Boba Fett from eBay

Funnily enough I also currently have more 1:6 figures on pre-order than I've ever had at the same time - 5 in total - all of which I'll probably get in hand in 2023. It will be an expensive year for me.
I rationalize it this way though: my last 1:6 was 1.5 years ago, before that 1:4 Vader beginning of 2020, and before that HT Maul end of 2019.

 

[omegaglory1]

Funnily enough I also currently have more 1:6 figures on pre-order than I've ever had at the same time - 5 in total - all of which I'll probably get in hand in 2023. It will be an expensive year for me.
I rationalize it this way though: my last 1:6 was 1.5 years ago, before that 1:4 Vader beginning of 2020, and before that HT Maul end of 2019.

I have three pre-orders on the way. Four, if you count the Inart Joker set as two figures. I greatly reduced my collection down to my absolute favourites and it's been almost four years since I started buying again. Space wise, I only display two at a time and I have a pretty robust storage method for my figures and accessories. The 9L Really Useful containers work well and I make sure to pad them with a little bubble wrap. It's the toy boxes that give me trouble they take up a lot of space

 

[Jay1138]

I was going through storage this last week and decided to cut deep into misc. NECA figures. Really love these figures but I rationalized that they have been in storage a little too long and available display space is spoken for. Tough but it made the decision to let these items go a little easier.

 

[Patriot666]

I was going through storage this last week and decided to cut deep into misc. NECA figures. Really love these figures but I rationalized that they have been in storage a little too long and available display space is spoken for. Tough but it made the decision to let these items go a little easier.

I empathize. Tough calls to make for sure.

 

[LiamNeesons112]

I’ve really managed to cut down my preorder list and also started selling more and more stuff off. Stuff that I “like” goes and stuff that I “love” stays. I’m not sure if I’m buying less because the figures I’m preordering are now bigger and more expensive though .

 

[JMT1979]

I’ve really managed to cut down my preorder list and also started selling more and more stuff off. Stuff that I “like” goes and stuff that I “love” stays. I’m not sure if I’m buying less because the figures I’m preordering are now bigger and more expensive though .

I'm the same. This time last year, my pre-order list was huge, now I am down to ten pre-orders, of which half are 1/6 scale figures, and even still, I am debating cutting up to half of them.

 

[LiamNeesons112]

I'm the same. This time last year, my pre-order list was huge, now I am down to ten pre-orders, of which half are 1/6 scale figures, and even still, I am debating cutting up to half of them.

I agree. My list is half the size that it was last year and my 2023 list is going to be half that size. I’m currently at the point where I’ve completely thinned out my preorders I think. I looked at it yesterday and said “yep I love everything on this list”. I’d also rather just sell something these days than cancel a preorder and eat an NRD.

 

[JMT1979]

I agree. My list is half the size that it was last year and my 2023 list is going to be half that size. I’m currently at the point where I’ve completely thinned out my preorders I think. I looked at it yesterday and said “yep I love everything on this list”. I’d also rather just sell something these days than cancel a preorder and eat an NRD.

I've eaten a few NRDs lately... InArt Gandalf and Pennywise spring to mind. Thankfully the rest haven't had a deposit, and some of the others I am looking at cancelling can have their deposits transferred.

I'll be doing a bit more culling over the next few weeks, I think.

 

[Jay1138]

Good job on cutting those pre-orders fellas. I'm down to just two right now.

 

[chrisstbh]

Replace one addiction with another, try crystal meth!

 

[Dave_W]

In my case I just try to collect HT OT Star Wars...problem solved.

In all seriousness though, a lot of the impulse collecting for me has been because of nostalgia. I have Anniversary Black Series figures, Neca Turtles, Super7 Thundercats with an eye on the Iron Studios He-Man statues as well and I haven't got any room to display them with all the 1/6 I have. Maybe I'm trying to come to terms with being middle aged, trying to recapture some of my youth, reminisce about the good old days, replace something that is missing in my life with buying stuff.

I'll probably get rid of the vast majority of them as the lack of space to display things nicely (I prefer the minimalist look. Cluttered shelves multiple figures deep isn't calming for me) and the stress of trying to keep up and store them somewhere (so I don't even get to look at them after getting them) has put the brakes on a lot of frivolous collecting for me

 

[Mondragon]

Replace one addiction with another, try crystal meth!

Crystar, Zardeth I remember those! Gonna need to collect them all now ...thanks!

 

[ebor]

Selling my entire Hot Toys Terminator Robocop AVP Preds, Terminator Salvation collection. Going exclusively Star Trek and OT Star Wars.

 

[Zurdo95D]

Replace one addiction with another, try crystal meth!